
Would you like to enhance your wellbeing? Maintain your energy? Live to your strengths and values? Plan how to build your resilience to thrive through these unique or unparalleled times?
This programme offers QMUL Medical Students part of the GP Society an opportunity to be coached /mentored one to one by a trained and quality assured GP Coach Mentor in a confidential space. Coaching develop individuals to full potential in their lives and careers, decreases isolation, stress and burnout and improves work-life balance and wellbeing.
Benefits of introducing Coaching and Mentorship include:
- Establish and act toward achieving goals. Coaching gives the individual an opportunity to define their career goals in a realistic way
- Increased level of engagement
- Safe Place to Gain Perspective
- Deeper Level of Learning
- Build Personal Awareness
- Support for Improving Specific Skills
How does the programme work?
Additionally please note:
- You have access to your coach mentor for up to 12 hours in total.
- You may arrange for these meetings to take place face to face at an agreed location, or virtually via MS Teams or Zoom.
- The first meeting will be scene setting to understand what your needs are. We expect the sessions to be completed within a 6 – 12 months period.
- We expect your med school supervisor or tutor to support you with application
There are limited spaces, please apply at your earliest convenience. Do note each person is accessing up to £700 worth of support per person if programme completed. We expect full commitment from applicants. Places will be offered on a first come basis subject to successful application. If demand is high, you will be added to waiting list. We will connect you with one of your chosen coach mentors once you complete your application via the survey monkey link below
How to apply?
Below is the application link, please do set aside 5 mins to complete this and this needs to be completed in one attempt as survey monkey will not allow you to save and return:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6TX7PFG
We will write back to you to confirm if your application has been successful. Note, we may operate a waiting list policy if demand is high for the programme.
If you have any queries, please email alam.khan1@nhs.net
Your available coach mentors are below
GP ‘Coach Mentors’
Anne Pauleau
I have had, and continue, to have very many varied roles. I have been a GP trainer for the last ten years , a GP partner for 25 years, a QI coach, a GP locum, a salaried GP, an undergraduate tutor and lead undergraduate GP tutor as well as honorary senior lecturer in general practice .I undertake minor surgery as well as implant and coil fittings and removals. I have been lead GP in Diabetes. General Practice is wonderful in generating so many opportunities for development! I feel privileged and honoured to be able to teach and learn from so many people, be they patients or colleagues, and in being able to make a difference to people’s lives. I am also a mother of four with an understanding of the conflicts between family life and professional life, especially as most of my mothering has been in a single parent capacity. My hobbies and relaxation are gardening (I open my garden each year under the National Garden Scheme; dancing (keen lindyhopper and charleston lover , a machine on the dance floor , branching out into solo jazz dancing due to the constraints of lockdown ); photography ( I have a Licentiateship of the Royal Photographic Society) and reading , especially social and local history, Art and theology. I am currently working on writing my memoirs. I want to listen to those I coach , hearing about their dreams and concerns , aspirations and worries; and so , help them, through their own thoughts and reflections , to find themselves , and to determine where they would like to be, who they want to become. I can be available Thursday all day , Friday all day , Saturday 11-12 , Wednesday am, Tuesday all day
Aparna Sanyal
I have been a GP in Tower Hamlets for the last 13 years since switching from internal medicine and retraining in General Practice. I am a portfolio GP and embrace the flexibility this brings and welcome the broad view this allows. Along side clinical sessions, my roles include being a GP appraiser, GP undergraduate tutor and I am a GMC PLAB examiner. I also work for the Ministry of Justice and sit as a medical member for PIP/ESA appeals tribunals. I am a parent of two children and all the juggling that brings. I enjoy painting in my spare time and strongly believe that the arts feed into the skills we need to be effective healers. I have availability on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Claire Davies
I have been a salaried GP at St Andrew’s Health Centre for 3 years and prior to that, I spent 15 years working in Hackney. I also work as an out of hours GP trainer and an appraiser. I have been lucky enough to have worked in a number of other sectors including a start up, a technical consultant for WHO in India, the Ethiopian public health system and 8 years as an adviser on staff health for the UK humanitarian sector where I led a team of 6 doctors. I have been a doctor now for 25 years and hope to use these many and varied experiences to offer a rich experience whether as a mentor or coach.
I have benefited and learned from being a coachee several times in my career including coaching on the psychodynamics of the workplace at The Tavistock Consultancy.
I am passionate about coaching and the changes it can create, both internal and external. My coaching is focussed around listening at a deeper level, affirming of the coachee, intuitive and sometimes light hearted. While coaching requires the work of thinking from the coachee, I believe it should be enjoyable as well as challenging where appropriate. I trained externally as a coach at the MOE foundation and am committed to my ongoing development as a coach.
Outside of work, I am a parent by transracial adoption and live in a triple nationality household. I also love gardening, yoga, contemporary literature about society, creative writing and maintaining my personal links with Ethiopia.
Daniel Gibney
I am a newly qualified GP working in Tower Hamlets, having completed my GP training here in August 2021. I have stayed on at the practice I trained at and do 3 days a week here where I am privileged to work with a really inspirational team. I also work in the urgent treatment centre at the royal london, in extended access hubs, the occasional locum session and do a couple of other things when I get a chance. Prior to GP training I completed an MA in medical ethics and law and spent some time in emergency medicine in Liverpool then London. Our practice looks after several hundred asylum seekers in local home office accommodation and I have worked alongside doctors of the world in improving the quality of care provided to these patients at our surgery and across Tower Hamlets. I relish the flexibility and opportunities that general practice offers as a career, but it is a long one. It is important to look after ourselves as doctors and to have some space to work through issues we are facing and I look forward to coaching and mentoring those in challenging points in their careers, and helping you navigate through them. I am flexible with availability apart from Wednesdays and Fridays.
Joe Hall
I undertake a number of leadership roles and have a variety of experiences to share. I believe in building resilient systems and teams that can adapt to change and have capacity to innovate and continually improve. Within my roles I try to encourage patient partnerships and co-design of services and address health inequalities and social disadvantage. At Board level I have extensive experience of Chairing, Governance and Organisational and Leadership Development. My passion is developing people and teams to reach their potential and developing leadership at all levels.
Summary of experience
- Increased level of engagement I have lived in Tower Hamlets since 1992. Studied at QMUL (MBBS 1998) and UCL (BSc History of Medicine)
- In 2003 Worked in Australia including flying around Central Australia as a remote GP for aboriginal communities.
- GP Partner Bromley by Bow Health Partnership 2005
- Led the establishment of Network 6 from 2009 and formation of MEEBBB CIC
- In 2011 became Clinical Lead for St Paul’s Way Medical Centre where I led the transformation of the practice. Recruited new clinical team and became GP practice in London to be rated Outstanding by CQC. Help design, build and mobilse into the purpose built site. Practice list size in now 15,000 and the clinical team including GP’s, ANP, Physician Associates, Pharmacists, Physiotherapist, Nurses and HCA’s
- Successfully led APMS bid
- Developed a number of community engagement projects including Community Health Champions
- Taught medical students all my career. Recently became a GP Trainer
- Helped establish the GPCG in 2013 and have been a board director since. Currently vice-chair
- Board Director of MEEEBBB Health CIC (Network 6 Board)
- Chair of Governors St Paul’s Way Medical Centre (Large Primary/Secondary School opposite surgery)
- Mentor Sixth Form students applying to Medicine
- Running, Cycling, Football, Music and Parenting on my days off
Wednesday PM and Thursdays are my best days to meet.
Kenny Win Leung Siu
I spend my time as a salary GP in Tower Hamlets, Clinical lead in Knowledge management for the federation, GP in Health Spot (Spotlight – youth centre), Doctor in Mildmay HIV hospital, a locum, tutor for medical students, running a private podiatrist clinic with my wife and I run a non profit MMA gym as the Muay Thai instructor. studying medicine where I thought I would be an Emergency care medic. After med school I actually went in to core psychiatry for few years where I had CBT patients and psychotherapy patients. I later realized I needed balance between physical medicine and psychiatry and that my heart was in GP all along!
a new appreciation of the NHSI have presented in a few international conferences mostly about fungal nail infections! But also in China in district wide educational event about primary care. My journey to GP started with a degree in biochemistry, then I have 2yr old twins that were born at 28 weeks. We spent 4mths in hospital in total. This was an interesting experience (a little emotional at times) and had given me an interesting perspective to being a patient but also I’m passionate about being a caring doctor but in order to achieve that I need good balance and that involves family life, sports, fun and resources.
Khyati Bakhai
I am a GP partner at Bromley by Bow health where we live and breathe the values of wider determinants of health, working alongside a charity to deliver health at a population level. I enjoy teaching and training with a wide range of colleagues from non-medical staff in practice to medical students, pharmacists, physician’s associates, and junior doctors. I am a director of GP@GL which supports practice based pharmacists; and I work with the Royal College of GPs on their e-learning platform. In addition, I currently have a role as board member of the Tower Hamlets CCG and have been working across the borough on primary care developments. Alongside work, I love time with my family and friends, exploring, cooking, traveling, reading (on Audible!) and am often found elbow deep in lego or crafts with my two young daughters, learning or re-learning new things with them. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are generally good to for me to meet.
Malgorzata Farrelly
I have been a GP in Tower Hamlets since 2003 and the partner at Wapping Group Practice for the past 15 years. I’ve always enjoy teaching medical students and GP Registrars as well as supporting newly qualified GP’s. As a GP with interest in Diabetes I became passionate about empowering patients to make their lifestyle changes. I recently also became clinical director for our PCN and juggling this role with partnership and being a mum taught me a lot about time management, prioritizing while still keeping reasonable life/work balance. My love for coaching came few months ago when I joined Coach Practitioner Programme leading to EQA accredited level coach recognised by EMCC Qualification ( European Mentoring and Coaching Accreditation). I currently have 6 coachees. Working with them and seeing the profound changes one can achieve with just a few hours of coaching by unlocking their potential is extremely rewarding for me. I believe that finding personal strengths, values and goals can really inspire people and help them to live more satisfying life. Through the coaching course I found that my strengths are Honesty and Love and I am bringing those qualities to my coaching sessions hoping to create a truly nurturing environment allowing my coachees deeper exploration of their issues in the safe space. I deeply care about my coaches and their development.My outside interests are theatre, poetry, enjoying nature on long walks, spending time with my family and cooking for them. I have 2 sons, my younger one is about to turn 14, but I am blessed that he still enjoys spending time with me and still is at the stage when he thinks that I am the best mum in the world, I am enjoying it while it lasts. I am available to coach on Mondays, Wednesdays and weekends.
Manpreet Sahemey
I’m a GP trainer and appraiser. I’ve been a GP for over eight years now and have worked in Newham, Tower Hamlets and City & Hackney. I have experience in working as a CCG clinical lead and I also now work in urgent and Emergency care settings. My hobbies include running, baking and now binge-watching TV boxsets. I am passionate about teaching and medical education and love being a trainer. I have had very positive experiences of coaching and mentoring myself and would like to pay this forward. I am fairly flexible in regards to day and time for meeting
Naomi Beer
I have worked in Tower Hamlets all my life, starting as a pioneer job-sharing partner and GP tutor. As a partner for 25 years in a large TH GP practice well used to innovation and change, I have also always been involved in education and training. I have learned that crucial to good decision making in both work and family life is the investment of time and ‘space’ to think through problems in order to find solutions, with the assistance of others. I have had to work through the pressures of guilt, stress, and competing demands common to most. I also lost my partner to cancer 7 years ago and following that I had to ‘find my way back’ and reshape my life. Three years ago I changed direction, leaving my practice to become a portfolio GP and training as a coach. I apply the skills and techniques I use in coaching to my other areas of work with patients and peers in mentoring, appraising and facilitating. I love the opportunity all these roles afford to be involved with people’s journeys of development and flourishing. Outside interests: Health and wellbeing requires attending to our whole selves- body, mind and spirit so I dance and cycle, regularly go to the theatre (when open!) and I sing in a choir. I also read, think and pray. I am the administrator and Trustee of a mental health charity I helped set up and I am a trustee of a hospital abroad. I have four children, two of whom are still in higher education. Currently Monday afternoons, Wednesdays and Thursdays are possibilities although everything outside clinical work gets fitted into those times! I am also willing to do Saturday afternoon where that becomes necessary.
Nicola Hagdrup
I have been a GP in tower hamlets for over 20 years and am a partner at Jubilee Street Practice. I am also a GP appraiser and a GP trainer. In the past I have had a range of different roles including working in Australia, 4 years working in USA, public health clinician, clinical lecturer at QMUL, undergraduate tutor, CCG board member and GP Care Group board member, which I feel gives me a good understanding of the different roles available. I am interested in enabling everyone to fulfil their full potential and see mentoring and coaching as a great opportunity to help with this as well as building resilience. I have received enormous support throughout my career from colleagues and feel privileged to have the roles that I have and hope that my experience can help others. My clinical interests include women’s health, I am a trainer in implant and coil insertions, and care of those with problematic drug and alcohol use. Outside of work I enjoy exercise, art, jazz music, my dog and any time I can get to spend with my 3 children who are all at uni. My general availabilities are Monday and Thursday, and Wed PM.
Osman Bhatti
I grew up in North London and went on to study at QMUL, my undergraduate experience with the diverse population and opportunities locally inspired me to stay in East London. For the 15 years, I have been a GP working across Newham and then Tower Hamlets I developed my passions for Information Technology and Education in health and training. I currently hold roles as a VTS Programme Director and a GP Update presenter for Red Whale as well as being the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) across North East London. I have led on local developments for innovative teaching including the development of webinars and livestreaming as well as rolling out online registration and online consultations. More recently, I have been working on future models of consultations as well as introducing Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive learning into healthcare to enable NHS staff and patients to benefit from technological advancements. In my other life I spend time with my children who I home educate, enjoy baking and DIY projects. I have found seeing where I want to go and taking the first step is sometimes scary but also a chance to explore my resourcefulness and challenge my thinking by learning from the ups and downs. As I have been supported by colleagues and mentors along my journey to reach my aspirations. I would also like to support others looking to establish their careers in their preferred role and path, or to support and provide development for a portfolio career in an aspirational and enjoyable way.
Phillip Bennett-Richards
I have lived in Tower Hamlets since 1989 and have been a partner at the Aberfeldy practice for over 21 years. My other roles have included being a GP appraiser, Clinical Director of the Tower Hamlets GP Care Group and Chair of THIPP and Tower Hamlets Together (local integrated care system). I have been a GP Training Programme Director for more than 20 years and have enjoyed providing educational supervision to many doctors as well as supporting their pastoral needs. I have also provided ongoing career advice to those who qualified from the GP training scheme. I am keen to offer this support as a GP mentor in Tower Hamlets. When I’m not at work I enjoy listening to the oboe, jazz, my wine cellar and catching a train to the Apennine mountains. I am captain of the Tower Hamlets Primary Care cricket team and in the off season enjoy adding to the tally of 133 football grounds that I have visited worldwide. My general availabilities are Mondays, Wednesday PM, Thursday PM, possibly evenings and weekends if its helpful
Philippa Cockman
I started out in life as a teacher before embarking on a career in medicine and General Practice. I have been involved in medical education at many levels from teaching students through to GP training, to running continuing professional development courses for multidisciplinary teams. I am now London-wide lead for GP Appraisal. Addressing inequalities has been a core value throughout my career in East London and I try to live up to feedback given once that I was ‘quietly determined to make a difference’. I have studied Public Health at LSHTM and think this has helped provide a wider perspective on health. I feel that the NHS would be a better place to work if coaching and mentoring was embedded throughout all our careers. Coaching positively builds on strengths and can enable change and release potential. I feel I have benefitted greatly from being coached myself. I am now working towards a qualification in Coaching and Mentoring (ILM5). Outside of work I enjoy open water swimming, running, ski-touring and mountaineering in wild and remote places – when this is possible!
For those of you who are new to coaching I have listed some of the principles below:
- People are resourceful
- The coach’s role is to develop the resoucenfulness of the person being coached
- Coaching addresses the whole person
- The agenda is set by the coachee
- The coach and the coachee are equals
- Coaching is about change and action
I am contactable at Philippa.Cockman@nhs.net for any questions. I am most likely to be available for coaching in normal working hours on Thursdays and Fridays but with flexibility on other days.
Rani Patel
I am a newly qualified GP with nearly 2 years experience of working in a salaried post within Tower Hamlets. Alongside this I teach medical students and am a clinical fellow in two roles within primary and secondary care looking at workforce development and medical leadership. I have also recently completed a PGCert in Health and Wellbeing. Prior to specialising in General Practice, I spent some time working in Australia in Emergency Care and Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the UK. Over the next few years I plan to continue to work a varied Portfolio role and develop as a person and as a clinician. I feel I am able to share my experience through this mentorship scheme while being approachable and supportive. I think the following quote by Denzel Washington depicts how I feel mentorship can add value to a person. “Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.” Wednesdays are best days to meet and evenings and weekends are also doable
Ricardo Cabot
I am GP with an interest in coaching & mentoring (GP trainer, student clinical supervisor, nurses’ mentor, appraiser, systemic supervision). We are all in the same boat and I hope to entertain a relaxed and respectful conversation that helps to move on in a positive way. I believe that it is important to celebrate our achievements and the good things around us. I will adapt to the best time for you and the best days for me to meet are Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I love cooking (and eating), nothing sophisticated, good old home cooking, especially Spanish, especially menus that I grew with. Love entertaining and going out. I also enjoy classical music and 80’s chart music (can’t remember a holiday without dancing to them!). I enjoy painting (#cayoart in instagram) and use oils and watercolour. I look after myself an have a personal trainer to exercise twice a week (otherwise I would do little exercise). I also enjoy putting my feet up and watch iTV and have been known to binge on a Netflix series if good enough.’
Salma Ahmed
I’m GP, trainer and an appraiser in Tower Hamlets, London. I became a GP in 1995. I enjoy teaching and learning new coaching skills. Recently I did the solution focused based therapy SFBT course. I love “noticing” details in how people change and move forwards with their “best hopes” and goals. Specialist interest areas are rheumatology / joint injections (I’m married to a rheumatologist which helps!) palliative care and frailty and teaching consultation skills with detailed feedback) My lockdown hobbies/ interests have been “fusion” cooking and making banana cake; learning Arabic better; watching TV dramas and power walking to new coffee shops! I enjoy reading poetry by Tagore and Rumi. Tuesdays and Fridays are best days to meet.
Sangeeta Rana-Masson
I am a GP partner working in East London for 21 years. I love the “generalist” aspect of General Practice and the long term relationships you forge with patients and their families over time. I have been involved in Education and Training in General Practice for 15 years as a GP trainer and I particularly value the one to one relationship with registrars. In the past I worked at Queen Mary’s University on the Refugee Doctor Programme where we were involved in setting up a programme to prepare refugee doctors for the PLAB exam and embed them into clinical placements. I enjoyed this tremendously as I was involved in teaching and mentoring a very diverse group of Doctors. I am a GP Appraiser and feel privileged to have had many professional conversations with Doctors at different stages of their career. Currently I am Clinical Director of my PCN which has given me the opportunity to lead on some exciting projects in our PCN such as development of First contact Physiotherapists in Primary care. I have learnt a lot from working closely with another discipline. I started formal coaching sessions last year and have really enjoyed working with different health care professionals helping them maximise their potential. I have 2 sons and have survived their teenage years to tell the tale! I love spending time with them when they are free and want to spend time with me! I enjoy reading fiction books, going to the theatre, playing tennis, baking and spending time with family and friends. Thursday and Friday afternoons are usually my best days to meet.
Sarah Pitkanen
I have been a GP in Tower Hamlets for just over 20 years and I am a Partner at the Aberfeldy Practice, having originally come through the Tower Hamlets GP Training Scheme. Throughout the majority of this time I have been involved in education. My journey as an educator began in 2000 when I became a Course Organizer for the Tower Hamlets GP Training Scheme, a role I continued until 2014. I have also been a GP Trainer since 2005 and a GP Appraiser since 2007. Training and mentoring is an area of work that I find very enjoyable. As a trainer I’ve valued the continuity and relationship that develops with my trainees during their time with us in the practice. Observing and supporting their development, as well as sometimes supporting them through difficult life challenges has been extremely rewarding. It’s been an equal privilege to work as an appraiser, a role in which i have also learnt a lot from the experiences of my colleagues. I have two children aged 17 and 9 and I think it would be fair to say that I’ve navigated my way through a range of personal and professional challenges during my time as a working mum, including trying to develop the ideal work:life balance so that I and my family remain happy and healthy. In my spare time I enjoy running, swimming, practicing yoga and reading. I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to further my mentoring role and supporting you by being part of this scheme. I’m generally available on Tuesday and Friday mornings, and Wednesday afternoons.
Sasha Abraham
I am Salaried GP in Tower Hamlets and have been a GP for almost 10 years. I have a passion for Medical Education and have co-authored, a couple of medical textbooks. I am currently a GP trainer for the Tower Hamlets VTS Scheme and I really enjoy this aspect of my work. I am also an appraiser and assess GP’s with a range of experiences, from the newly qualified, to those approaching retirement. I find this aspect of my role very rewarding and learn so much from others. A couple of years ago, my colleague and I set up a peer review support group for local salaried GPs. I was also the Clinical Lead for Planned care for the CCG. In my free time, I immensely enjoy the theatre and attending music concerts and am missing these both massively, due to the pandemic. I used to be an avid celebrity selfie taker, I have pictures with the likes of Sir Ian McKellan, Nicole Kidman and Jude Law to name a few in my collection. I’ve been meaning to set up my own blog Dr A meets…., which is currently a work in progress. Due to social distancing, this is now a hobby of the past, but hope it reignites in 2021. For now, all I can say is Thank God for Netflix! Work life balance is important, my motto is ‘work hard and play hard’, and I like to teach my trainees the importance of this and to also recognise the signs of burnout. I enjoy checking out new restaurants and cuisines, something I am also missing due to the current restrictions. I am currently available for Coaching and Mentoring on Wednesdays and Fridays, but with flexibility on other days.
Selva Selvarajah
I am a GP Partner in Tower Hamlets working for Bromley by Bow Health and closely with its sister organisation Bromley by Bow Centre where social prescribing was pioneered. Primarily, I have been based in St Andrews Health Centre since 2014. I trained as a GP in Hackney, joining the VTS in 2007 and worked there for a number of years before making the move to Tower Hamlets. During my career, I have worked as a locum, salaried and OOH GP. I continue to work as an OOH GP and a clinical lead for the OOH service in Hackney. During my time in Hackney, I had roles with the CCG as a Cardiovascular lead and CCG Executive board member, working closely with Homerton Hospital, Barts Health, local GPs and the commissioners to establish pathways and services and led on QI projects gaining an insight into this world of commissioning. Teaching and training are 2 of my passions and at St Andrews we host trainees ranging from FY2 to ST3 as well as I&R doctors. I am also involving in teaching medical students. Mentoring, coaching and clinical governance of ANPs, GPs and trainees are also roles that are part of my portfolio. As a director of Greenlight@GP, an employee owned pharmacist organisation, I teach, train and support primary care pharmacists. This is a unique venture between a pharmacy organisation and GP partnership where all the staff own the business together, a unique venture in the NHS. My partners and I have also developed a series of training events for admin and reception teams in Tower Hamlets in partnership with CEPN and have trained over 200 staff. As a health tech enthusiast, I am have been involved in the roll out of various innovative initiatives over the years from the development of a health app to monitor BP remotely to being part of the roll out of e-hub pilot in our network. I am usually available on Mondays during the day but can be free on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons or evenings with notice.
Shanaz Husain
I am a local GP and my background is from East London, having been born locally, growing up and educated in in Newham, then went on to study at QMUL. I have an affinity for East London, the diversity and challenge that it offers. Through challenge and diversity we learn and grow. I now work in Tower Hamlets after 13 years of working in Newham and a year spent helping turn around a practice in difficulty in North London. My other roles are working as a Training Programme Director for Newham VTS. I do a voluntary role with a team of GPs supporting the sessional GP community in North East London. In my clinical role I am a supporting clinical supervisor for different learners and really enjoy teaching as well as learning in the clinical environment, hands on learning is going on all the time and getting time to reflect on that with others to do the best for each other (GPs, nurses, pharmacists, admin staff, social prescribing team) and our patients is what I love about General Practice. My passion is education, personal growth and supporting each other through peer groups. A sense of belonging is important to me. Reading and relaxing is also very important to me. I like to explore philosophical ideas and have discussions with colleagues and my children. I have been home educating for the last 4 years. I also love to capture nature in photos in particular bees foraging for pollen in the peak of the season. Sustaining our environment is an important focus for me and part of my family ethos is to waste less and sustain more. My hope is to support others with their hopes and aspirations as I have been supported by some very dear colleagues and friends. Preferred slots to meet are Fridays afternoon, evenings and weekends.
Susie Ross
I grew up in East London and though I’ve lived, studied and worked elsewhere in the past, I returned to London to join the Tower Hamlets VTS, and decided to stay. I’m based at St Stephen’s Health Centre in Bow, where I’ve worked for the past nine years. I’m also a GP trainer, GP appraiser, and tutor to undergraduate medical students.I’m interested in staff development in general, and in particular in doing this through conversation. I’ve recently become involved in redesigning our surgery’s in-house appraisal system, as I want to make it more meaningful and valuable. I think the challenge of mentoring is to tailor each of these conversations to be the most useful it can be for the individual. It’s about listening and teamwork; supporting a colleague to identify their challenges, their goals and their options and pathways to get there. I think we all strive for a sense of belonging, a professional identity, and ways we can continually develop our skills and stay interested and engaged with our work. I feel very lucky to have found a place where I am happy and balanced in my professional and personal life – I think open honest conversations with trusted and respected colleagues over the years have helped me greatly in this. My preferred times to meet are Tuesdays, Wednesday PM, Fridays and evening/weekends.
Toby Longwill
I have lived and worked in Tower Hamlets for two decades. I’ve been a partner at Island Health since 2007 and have been a GP trainer for more than 10 years . During that time I have worked with many inspirational colleagues and have been fortunate to be involved in medical education events from Tower Hamlets to rural China. My most enjoyable roles include being one of the Training Programme Directors in Tower Hamlets, and recruiting and providing peer support to newly qualified GPs across NEL. I also have a role as an appraiser and have been privileged to meet many colleagues and support them in career development. I have a MSc in Sports Medicine and have been part of the medical teams providing cover at several events including the Olympics, London Triathlon and the UFC. I also have a role as a GP with specialist interest in musculoskeletal medicine and in the last year have been involved with establishing a First Contact Physiotherapy Service in our Primary Care Network. In my spare time, I enjoy good coffee, the Alps, triathlons and when there’s time Mahi Mahi fishing in the Au Au channel. I’m looking forward to offering mentoring on a more formal basis to lend support to colleagues to make the most of their talents. My general availabilities are Monday PM, Thursday AM, and evenings and weekends.